Susan Lessard-Friesen has made her mark on pharmacy practice in Manitoba and internationally, especially in the area of patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen retired as Registrar and CEO of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) at the end of September this year, after 26 years of service at the regulatory authority. She graduated in 1983 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba.

Throughout her career, Lessard-Friesen consistently strived to bring integrity, trust and equity into pharmacy practice and has supported regulations and practice directions that have lasting effects on patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen was instrumental in the successful implementation of Safety Improvement in Quality (Safety IQ), the standardized continuous quality improvement program for community pharmacies in Manitoba. Safety IQ supports a “just and safe” culture in community pharmacies that balances professional accountability with a systems approach to incident reporting, response and prevention.

In 2014, she became the first recipient of the Patient Safety Champion Award from the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety. In 2013, she received the Patient Safety Award from the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association.

Her extensive contributions to patient safety include representation on numerous local, national and international working groups, committees and boards, including the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety, the Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development Network for Health Professions in Manitoba and the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy.

Recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lessard-Friesen ensured the continued registration and licensure of pharmacy graduates despite many obstacles. These pharmacy professionals were able to provide safe, responsive and effective care to the public during a time of great stress on the healthcare system.

Lessard-Friesen was also a sessional instructor at the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, where she enjoyed serving as a mentor to students and influencing their future roles as pharmacists.

Susan Lessard-Friesen has made her mark on pharmacy practice in Manitoba and internationally, especially in the area of patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen retired as Registrar and CEO of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) at the end of September this year, after 26 years of service at the regulatory authority. She graduated in 1983 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba.

Throughout her career, Lessard-Friesen consistently strived to bring integrity, trust and equity into pharmacy practice and has supported regulations and practice directions that have lasting effects on patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen was instrumental in the successful implementation of Safety Improvement in Quality (Safety IQ), the standardized continuous quality improvement program for community pharmacies in Manitoba. Safety IQ supports a “just and safe” culture in community pharmacies that balances professional accountability with a systems approach to incident reporting, response and prevention.

In 2014, she became the first recipient of the Patient Safety Champion Award from the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety. In 2013, she received the Patient Safety Award from the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association.

Her extensive contributions to patient safety include representation on numerous local, national and international working groups, committees and boards, including the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety, the Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development Network for Health Professions in Manitoba and the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy.

Recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lessard-Friesen ensured the continued registration and licensure of pharmacy graduates despite many obstacles. These pharmacy professionals were able to provide safe, responsive and effective care to the public during a time of great stress on the healthcare system.

Lessard-Friesen was also a sessional instructor at the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, where she enjoyed serving as a mentor to students and influencing their future roles as pharmacists.

With a distinguished 40 years in the profession, Myrella Roy is lauded for her progressive leadership and ability to build successful relationships within pharmacy, government and industry. Roy recently retired from her post as Executive Director of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSPH).

During her tenure, Roy oversaw the successful completion of the CSHP 2015, a vision of pharmacy practice excellence that challenged members across the country to commit to enhancing the profession. She also oversaw the launch of a medication management e-learning platform and the implementation of dozens of guidelines and critical position statements.

Outside of CSHP, Roy has held faculty positions at the Université of Montreal and Université Laval and volunteered overseas for Pharmacists Without Borders in Albania. She has also participated in numerous multi-stakeholder consultations, advocating for pharmacists and patient care.

“Myrella exemplifies what a true leader should be: a visionary who inspires others but is also willing to put in the hard work herself,” says CFP’s Executive Director Dayle Acorn. “I congratulate her on a lifetime of achievement in advancing the profession.”

Susan Lessard-Friesen has made her mark on pharmacy practice in Manitoba and internationally, especially in the area of patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen retired as Registrar and CEO of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) at the end of September this year, after 26 years of service at the regulatory authority. She graduated in 1983 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba.

Throughout her career, Lessard-Friesen consistently strived to bring integrity, trust and equity into pharmacy practice and has supported regulations and practice directions that have lasting effects on patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen was instrumental in the successful implementation of Safety Improvement in Quality (Safety IQ), the standardized continuous quality improvement program for community pharmacies in Manitoba. Safety IQ supports a “just and safe” culture in community pharmacies that balances professional accountability with a systems approach to incident reporting, response and prevention.

In 2014, she became the first recipient of the Patient Safety Champion Award from the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety. In 2013, she received the Patient Safety Award from the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association.

Her extensive contributions to patient safety include representation on numerous local, national and international working groups, committees and boards, including the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety, the Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development Network for Health Professions in Manitoba and the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy.

Recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lessard-Friesen ensured the continued registration and licensure of pharmacy graduates despite many obstacles. These pharmacy professionals were able to provide safe, responsive and effective care to the public during a time of great stress on the healthcare system.

Lessard-Friesen was also a sessional instructor at the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, where she enjoyed serving as a mentor to students and influencing their future roles as pharmacists.

With a distinguished 40 years in the profession, Myrella Roy is lauded for her progressive leadership and ability to build successful relationships within pharmacy, government and industry. Roy recently retired from her post as Executive Director of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSPH).

During her tenure, Roy oversaw the successful completion of the CSHP 2015, a vision of pharmacy practice excellence that challenged members across the country to commit to enhancing the profession. She also oversaw the launch of a medication management e-learning platform and the implementation of dozens of guidelines and critical position statements.

Outside of CSHP, Roy has held faculty positions at the Université of Montreal and Université Laval and volunteered overseas for Pharmacists Without Borders in Albania. She has also participated in numerous multi-stakeholder consultations, advocating for pharmacists and patient care.

“Myrella exemplifies what a true leader should be: a visionary who inspires others but is also willing to put in the hard work herself,” says CFP’s Executive Director Dayle Acorn. “I congratulate her on a lifetime of achievement in advancing the profession.”

The Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) is honoured to recognize the late Steve Long with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Long's journey in pharmacy began almost 40 years ago, when he graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) in 1982. Since then, Long became a trailblazer in the profession, as evidenced by his many organizational initiatives and a stated mission to ensure that every patient achieves the best possible outcomes from their medication use.

He became the Director of Pharmacy for the Calgary Health region in 1984 and remained in the role until 2008. A medication error in Calgary served as a defining moment in his career and he became a champion for patient safety, just culture and open disclosure as a result of that experience. Long set the benchmark for the pharmacy profession in Alberta by putting practical tools and enablers in place. These tools included creating a standardized approach, growing with and utilizing new technology as well as optimizing the use of pharmacy technicians.

In 2008, Long took a government position as Executive Director, Pharmaceuticals at Alberta Health and Wellness, where he implemented several key policy objectives. These included the product listing agreement policy, Alberta’s framework for drugs for rare diseases, and reforms to generic listing decisions. Perhaps most importantly, Long was crucial in reshaping pharmacy compensation and reimbursement to better align with the expanded scope of practice. To this day, Alberta’s Pharmacy Services Framework is the most comprehensive compensation framework in Canada, and Long is a significant reason why.

In 2012 Long joined Shoppers Drug Mart as the Director of National Public Policy, and a year later (2013) he established his consulting firm, S.C. Long Consulting. Through his consultation in the pharmaceutical and benefits management industries, Long strived to improve access to drug therapy for patients and make a meaningful difference.

Long demonstrated his dedication to the advancement of the profession through many hours of volunteering for pharmacy associations, including the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

He will be greatly missed by the pharmacy community and all those who had the privilege of working with him.

(Steve passed away too soon on July 24, 2019, at the age of 62 years from complications of lung cancer. He loved his family and cherished the time he spent with them – wife Dale, son Fraser and daughter Kirsten. He will be missed by the pharmacy community and all those who knew him. Steve was notified of his award in June and knew about his recognition before his passing).

Susan Lessard-Friesen has made her mark on pharmacy practice in Manitoba and internationally, especially in the area of patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen retired as Registrar and CEO of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) at the end of September this year, after 26 years of service at the regulatory authority. She graduated in 1983 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba.

Throughout her career, Lessard-Friesen consistently strived to bring integrity, trust and equity into pharmacy practice and has supported regulations and practice directions that have lasting effects on patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen was instrumental in the successful implementation of Safety Improvement in Quality (Safety IQ), the standardized continuous quality improvement program for community pharmacies in Manitoba. Safety IQ supports a “just and safe” culture in community pharmacies that balances professional accountability with a systems approach to incident reporting, response and prevention.

In 2014, she became the first recipient of the Patient Safety Champion Award from the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety. In 2013, she received the Patient Safety Award from the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association.

Her extensive contributions to patient safety include representation on numerous local, national and international working groups, committees and boards, including the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety, the Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development Network for Health Professions in Manitoba and the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy.

Recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lessard-Friesen ensured the continued registration and licensure of pharmacy graduates despite many obstacles. These pharmacy professionals were able to provide safe, responsive and effective care to the public during a time of great stress on the healthcare system.

Lessard-Friesen was also a sessional instructor at the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, where she enjoyed serving as a mentor to students and influencing their future roles as pharmacists.

With a distinguished 40 years in the profession, Myrella Roy is lauded for her progressive leadership and ability to build successful relationships within pharmacy, government and industry. Roy recently retired from her post as Executive Director of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSPH).

During her tenure, Roy oversaw the successful completion of the CSHP 2015, a vision of pharmacy practice excellence that challenged members across the country to commit to enhancing the profession. She also oversaw the launch of a medication management e-learning platform and the implementation of dozens of guidelines and critical position statements.

Outside of CSHP, Roy has held faculty positions at the Université of Montreal and Université Laval and volunteered overseas for Pharmacists Without Borders in Albania. She has also participated in numerous multi-stakeholder consultations, advocating for pharmacists and patient care.

“Myrella exemplifies what a true leader should be: a visionary who inspires others but is also willing to put in the hard work herself,” says CFP’s Executive Director Dayle Acorn. “I congratulate her on a lifetime of achievement in advancing the profession.”

The Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) is honoured to recognize the late Steve Long with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Long's journey in pharmacy began almost 40 years ago, when he graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) in 1982. Since then, Long became a trailblazer in the profession, as evidenced by his many organizational initiatives and a stated mission to ensure that every patient achieves the best possible outcomes from their medication use.

He became the Director of Pharmacy for the Calgary Health region in 1984 and remained in the role until 2008. A medication error in Calgary served as a defining moment in his career and he became a champion for patient safety, just culture and open disclosure as a result of that experience. Long set the benchmark for the pharmacy profession in Alberta by putting practical tools and enablers in place. These tools included creating a standardized approach, growing with and utilizing new technology as well as optimizing the use of pharmacy technicians.

In 2008, Long took a government position as Executive Director, Pharmaceuticals at Alberta Health and Wellness, where he implemented several key policy objectives. These included the product listing agreement policy, Alberta’s framework for drugs for rare diseases, and reforms to generic listing decisions. Perhaps most importantly, Long was crucial in reshaping pharmacy compensation and reimbursement to better align with the expanded scope of practice. To this day, Alberta’s Pharmacy Services Framework is the most comprehensive compensation framework in Canada, and Long is a significant reason why.

In 2012 Long joined Shoppers Drug Mart as the Director of National Public Policy, and a year later (2013) he established his consulting firm, S.C. Long Consulting. Through his consultation in the pharmaceutical and benefits management industries, Long strived to improve access to drug therapy for patients and make a meaningful difference.

Long demonstrated his dedication to the advancement of the profession through many hours of volunteering for pharmacy associations, including the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

He will be greatly missed by the pharmacy community and all those who had the privilege of working with him.

(Steve passed away too soon on July 24, 2019, at the age of 62 years from complications of lung cancer. He loved his family and cherished the time he spent with them – wife Dale, son Fraser and daughter Kirsten. He will be missed by the pharmacy community and all those who knew him. Steve was notified of his award in June and knew about his recognition before his passing).

Derek Desrosiers, left, and CFP Executive Director Dayle Acorn

During his 36-year (and counting) career in pharmacy, Derek Desrosiers has become one of Canada's foremost authorities on the interplay between economic and professional practice issues in pharmacy. After working in community pharmacy for 13 years, including time as a pharmacy manager and owner, Derek became the Director of Professional Services at the B.C. Pharmacy Association in 1995. In 1999 he took up a similar role at uniPHARM Wholesale Drugs Ltd., then became Chief Executive Officer in 2004. While at uniPHARM he guided the company to achieve the designation of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. He returned to BCPhA in 2013 as Director, Pharmacy Practice Support, where he remain until his retirement in May 2018. For more than 20 years, Derek has been a staff member or board member of BCPhA, including six terms as President. He has also served as a Director of the Board of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, and a Director and Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management. Derek is also on CFP’s Board and was President in 2017. In 2011, he received CFP's prestigious Pillar of Pharmacy Award.

Derek currently has his own consulting company, Desson Consulting, where he helps pharmacy owners develop business plans. He is also a succession and acquisitions consultant with Rxownership.ca.

Susan Lessard-Friesen has made her mark on pharmacy practice in Manitoba and internationally, especially in the area of patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen retired as Registrar and CEO of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) at the end of September this year, after 26 years of service at the regulatory authority. She graduated in 1983 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba.

Throughout her career, Lessard-Friesen consistently strived to bring integrity, trust and equity into pharmacy practice and has supported regulations and practice directions that have lasting effects on patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen was instrumental in the successful implementation of Safety Improvement in Quality (Safety IQ), the standardized continuous quality improvement program for community pharmacies in Manitoba. Safety IQ supports a “just and safe” culture in community pharmacies that balances professional accountability with a systems approach to incident reporting, response and prevention.

In 2014, she became the first recipient of the Patient Safety Champion Award from the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety. In 2013, she received the Patient Safety Award from the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association.

Her extensive contributions to patient safety include representation on numerous local, national and international working groups, committees and boards, including the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety, the Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development Network for Health Professions in Manitoba and the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy.

Recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lessard-Friesen ensured the continued registration and licensure of pharmacy graduates despite many obstacles. These pharmacy professionals were able to provide safe, responsive and effective care to the public during a time of great stress on the healthcare system.

Lessard-Friesen was also a sessional instructor at the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, where she enjoyed serving as a mentor to students and influencing their future roles as pharmacists.

With a distinguished 40 years in the profession, Myrella Roy is lauded for her progressive leadership and ability to build successful relationships within pharmacy, government and industry. Roy recently retired from her post as Executive Director of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSPH).

During her tenure, Roy oversaw the successful completion of the CSHP 2015, a vision of pharmacy practice excellence that challenged members across the country to commit to enhancing the profession. She also oversaw the launch of a medication management e-learning platform and the implementation of dozens of guidelines and critical position statements.

Outside of CSHP, Roy has held faculty positions at the Université of Montreal and Université Laval and volunteered overseas for Pharmacists Without Borders in Albania. She has also participated in numerous multi-stakeholder consultations, advocating for pharmacists and patient care.

“Myrella exemplifies what a true leader should be: a visionary who inspires others but is also willing to put in the hard work herself,” says CFP’s Executive Director Dayle Acorn. “I congratulate her on a lifetime of achievement in advancing the profession.”

The Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) is honoured to recognize the late Steve Long with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Long's journey in pharmacy began almost 40 years ago, when he graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) in 1982. Since then, Long became a trailblazer in the profession, as evidenced by his many organizational initiatives and a stated mission to ensure that every patient achieves the best possible outcomes from their medication use.

He became the Director of Pharmacy for the Calgary Health region in 1984 and remained in the role until 2008. A medication error in Calgary served as a defining moment in his career and he became a champion for patient safety, just culture and open disclosure as a result of that experience. Long set the benchmark for the pharmacy profession in Alberta by putting practical tools and enablers in place. These tools included creating a standardized approach, growing with and utilizing new technology as well as optimizing the use of pharmacy technicians.

In 2008, Long took a government position as Executive Director, Pharmaceuticals at Alberta Health and Wellness, where he implemented several key policy objectives. These included the product listing agreement policy, Alberta’s framework for drugs for rare diseases, and reforms to generic listing decisions. Perhaps most importantly, Long was crucial in reshaping pharmacy compensation and reimbursement to better align with the expanded scope of practice. To this day, Alberta’s Pharmacy Services Framework is the most comprehensive compensation framework in Canada, and Long is a significant reason why.

In 2012 Long joined Shoppers Drug Mart as the Director of National Public Policy, and a year later (2013) he established his consulting firm, S.C. Long Consulting. Through his consultation in the pharmaceutical and benefits management industries, Long strived to improve access to drug therapy for patients and make a meaningful difference.

Long demonstrated his dedication to the advancement of the profession through many hours of volunteering for pharmacy associations, including the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

He will be greatly missed by the pharmacy community and all those who had the privilege of working with him.

(Steve passed away too soon on July 24, 2019, at the age of 62 years from complications of lung cancer. He loved his family and cherished the time he spent with them – wife Dale, son Fraser and daughter Kirsten. He will be missed by the pharmacy community and all those who knew him. Steve was notified of his award in June and knew about his recognition before his passing).

Derek Desrosiers, left, and CFP Executive Director Dayle Acorn

During his 36-year (and counting) career in pharmacy, Derek Desrosiers has become one of Canada's foremost authorities on the interplay between economic and professional practice issues in pharmacy. After working in community pharmacy for 13 years, including time as a pharmacy manager and owner, Derek became the Director of Professional Services at the B.C. Pharmacy Association in 1995. In 1999 he took up a similar role at uniPHARM Wholesale Drugs Ltd., then became Chief Executive Officer in 2004. While at uniPHARM he guided the company to achieve the designation of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. He returned to BCPhA in 2013 as Director, Pharmacy Practice Support, where he remain until his retirement in May 2018. For more than 20 years, Derek has been a staff member or board member of BCPhA, including six terms as President. He has also served as a Director of the Board of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, and a Director and Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management. Derek is also on CFP’s Board and was President in 2017. In 2011, he received CFP's prestigious Pillar of Pharmacy Award.

Derek currently has his own consulting company, Desson Consulting, where he helps pharmacy owners develop business plans. He is also a succession and acquisitions consultant with Rxownership.ca.

Susan Lessard-Friesen has made her mark on pharmacy practice in Manitoba and internationally, especially in the area of patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen retired as Registrar and CEO of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) at the end of September this year, after 26 years of service at the regulatory authority. She graduated in 1983 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba.

Throughout her career, Lessard-Friesen consistently strived to bring integrity, trust and equity into pharmacy practice and has supported regulations and practice directions that have lasting effects on patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen was instrumental in the successful implementation of Safety Improvement in Quality (Safety IQ), the standardized continuous quality improvement program for community pharmacies in Manitoba. Safety IQ supports a “just and safe” culture in community pharmacies that balances professional accountability with a systems approach to incident reporting, response and prevention.

In 2014, she became the first recipient of the Patient Safety Champion Award from the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety. In 2013, she received the Patient Safety Award from the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association.

Her extensive contributions to patient safety include representation on numerous local, national and international working groups, committees and boards, including the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety, the Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development Network for Health Professions in Manitoba and the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy.

Recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lessard-Friesen ensured the continued registration and licensure of pharmacy graduates despite many obstacles. These pharmacy professionals were able to provide safe, responsive and effective care to the public during a time of great stress on the healthcare system.

Lessard-Friesen was also a sessional instructor at the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, where she enjoyed serving as a mentor to students and influencing their future roles as pharmacists.

With a distinguished 40 years in the profession, Myrella Roy is lauded for her progressive leadership and ability to build successful relationships within pharmacy, government and industry. Roy recently retired from her post as Executive Director of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSPH).

During her tenure, Roy oversaw the successful completion of the CSHP 2015, a vision of pharmacy practice excellence that challenged members across the country to commit to enhancing the profession. She also oversaw the launch of a medication management e-learning platform and the implementation of dozens of guidelines and critical position statements.

Outside of CSHP, Roy has held faculty positions at the Université of Montreal and Université Laval and volunteered overseas for Pharmacists Without Borders in Albania. She has also participated in numerous multi-stakeholder consultations, advocating for pharmacists and patient care.

“Myrella exemplifies what a true leader should be: a visionary who inspires others but is also willing to put in the hard work herself,” says CFP’s Executive Director Dayle Acorn. “I congratulate her on a lifetime of achievement in advancing the profession.”

The Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) is honoured to recognize the late Steve Long with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Long's journey in pharmacy began almost 40 years ago, when he graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) in 1982. Since then, Long became a trailblazer in the profession, as evidenced by his many organizational initiatives and a stated mission to ensure that every patient achieves the best possible outcomes from their medication use.

He became the Director of Pharmacy for the Calgary Health region in 1984 and remained in the role until 2008. A medication error in Calgary served as a defining moment in his career and he became a champion for patient safety, just culture and open disclosure as a result of that experience. Long set the benchmark for the pharmacy profession in Alberta by putting practical tools and enablers in place. These tools included creating a standardized approach, growing with and utilizing new technology as well as optimizing the use of pharmacy technicians.

In 2008, Long took a government position as Executive Director, Pharmaceuticals at Alberta Health and Wellness, where he implemented several key policy objectives. These included the product listing agreement policy, Alberta’s framework for drugs for rare diseases, and reforms to generic listing decisions. Perhaps most importantly, Long was crucial in reshaping pharmacy compensation and reimbursement to better align with the expanded scope of practice. To this day, Alberta’s Pharmacy Services Framework is the most comprehensive compensation framework in Canada, and Long is a significant reason why.

In 2012 Long joined Shoppers Drug Mart as the Director of National Public Policy, and a year later (2013) he established his consulting firm, S.C. Long Consulting. Through his consultation in the pharmaceutical and benefits management industries, Long strived to improve access to drug therapy for patients and make a meaningful difference.

Long demonstrated his dedication to the advancement of the profession through many hours of volunteering for pharmacy associations, including the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

He will be greatly missed by the pharmacy community and all those who had the privilege of working with him.

(Steve passed away too soon on July 24, 2019, at the age of 62 years from complications of lung cancer. He loved his family and cherished the time he spent with them – wife Dale, son Fraser and daughter Kirsten. He will be missed by the pharmacy community and all those who knew him. Steve was notified of his award in June and knew about his recognition before his passing).

Derek Desrosiers, left, and CFP Executive Director Dayle Acorn

During his 36-year (and counting) career in pharmacy, Derek Desrosiers has become one of Canada's foremost authorities on the interplay between economic and professional practice issues in pharmacy. After working in community pharmacy for 13 years, including time as a pharmacy manager and owner, Derek became the Director of Professional Services at the B.C. Pharmacy Association in 1995. In 1999 he took up a similar role at uniPHARM Wholesale Drugs Ltd., then became Chief Executive Officer in 2004. While at uniPHARM he guided the company to achieve the designation of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. He returned to BCPhA in 2013 as Director, Pharmacy Practice Support, where he remain until his retirement in May 2018. For more than 20 years, Derek has been a staff member or board member of BCPhA, including six terms as President. He has also served as a Director of the Board of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, and a Director and Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management. Derek is also on CFP’s Board and was President in 2017. In 2011, he received CFP's prestigious Pillar of Pharmacy Award.

Derek currently has his own consulting company, Desson Consulting, where he helps pharmacy owners develop business plans. He is also a succession and acquisitions consultant with Rxownership.ca.

After graduating from the University of B.C. in 1974, Marshall Moleschi (pictured at right, with David Edwards) experienced pharmacy in almost all of its settings: community, hospital, long-term care and healthcare administration. Equipped with those experiences, he turned to the regulation of pharmacy as the focus for his leadership abilities, first as Registrar of the College of Pharmacists of B.C. and most recently as Registrar of the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP). He has helped guide the profession in both provinces through unprecedented changes to scope of practice, which included extensive travels to district meetings and provincial conferences to motivate pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to embrace the opportunities to expand their services to patients. In Ontario, Marshall evolved the College's practice assessments of pharmacies away from simply a traditional checklist of adherence to rules to include an evaluation of the practice, which includes coaching practitioners to enhance their delivery of pharmacy services. Marshall is also a Past President of the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy. He retired as Registrar of OCP in September 2016.

Susan Lessard-Friesen has made her mark on pharmacy practice in Manitoba and internationally, especially in the area of patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen retired as Registrar and CEO of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) at the end of September this year, after 26 years of service at the regulatory authority. She graduated in 1983 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba.

Throughout her career, Lessard-Friesen consistently strived to bring integrity, trust and equity into pharmacy practice and has supported regulations and practice directions that have lasting effects on patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen was instrumental in the successful implementation of Safety Improvement in Quality (Safety IQ), the standardized continuous quality improvement program for community pharmacies in Manitoba. Safety IQ supports a “just and safe” culture in community pharmacies that balances professional accountability with a systems approach to incident reporting, response and prevention.

In 2014, she became the first recipient of the Patient Safety Champion Award from the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety. In 2013, she received the Patient Safety Award from the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association.

Her extensive contributions to patient safety include representation on numerous local, national and international working groups, committees and boards, including the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety, the Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development Network for Health Professions in Manitoba and the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy.

Recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lessard-Friesen ensured the continued registration and licensure of pharmacy graduates despite many obstacles. These pharmacy professionals were able to provide safe, responsive and effective care to the public during a time of great stress on the healthcare system.

Lessard-Friesen was also a sessional instructor at the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, where she enjoyed serving as a mentor to students and influencing their future roles as pharmacists.

With a distinguished 40 years in the profession, Myrella Roy is lauded for her progressive leadership and ability to build successful relationships within pharmacy, government and industry. Roy recently retired from her post as Executive Director of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSPH).

During her tenure, Roy oversaw the successful completion of the CSHP 2015, a vision of pharmacy practice excellence that challenged members across the country to commit to enhancing the profession. She also oversaw the launch of a medication management e-learning platform and the implementation of dozens of guidelines and critical position statements.

Outside of CSHP, Roy has held faculty positions at the Université of Montreal and Université Laval and volunteered overseas for Pharmacists Without Borders in Albania. She has also participated in numerous multi-stakeholder consultations, advocating for pharmacists and patient care.

“Myrella exemplifies what a true leader should be: a visionary who inspires others but is also willing to put in the hard work herself,” says CFP’s Executive Director Dayle Acorn. “I congratulate her on a lifetime of achievement in advancing the profession.”

The Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) is honoured to recognize the late Steve Long with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Long's journey in pharmacy began almost 40 years ago, when he graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) in 1982. Since then, Long became a trailblazer in the profession, as evidenced by his many organizational initiatives and a stated mission to ensure that every patient achieves the best possible outcomes from their medication use.

He became the Director of Pharmacy for the Calgary Health region in 1984 and remained in the role until 2008. A medication error in Calgary served as a defining moment in his career and he became a champion for patient safety, just culture and open disclosure as a result of that experience. Long set the benchmark for the pharmacy profession in Alberta by putting practical tools and enablers in place. These tools included creating a standardized approach, growing with and utilizing new technology as well as optimizing the use of pharmacy technicians.

In 2008, Long took a government position as Executive Director, Pharmaceuticals at Alberta Health and Wellness, where he implemented several key policy objectives. These included the product listing agreement policy, Alberta’s framework for drugs for rare diseases, and reforms to generic listing decisions. Perhaps most importantly, Long was crucial in reshaping pharmacy compensation and reimbursement to better align with the expanded scope of practice. To this day, Alberta’s Pharmacy Services Framework is the most comprehensive compensation framework in Canada, and Long is a significant reason why.

In 2012 Long joined Shoppers Drug Mart as the Director of National Public Policy, and a year later (2013) he established his consulting firm, S.C. Long Consulting. Through his consultation in the pharmaceutical and benefits management industries, Long strived to improve access to drug therapy for patients and make a meaningful difference.

Long demonstrated his dedication to the advancement of the profession through many hours of volunteering for pharmacy associations, including the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

He will be greatly missed by the pharmacy community and all those who had the privilege of working with him.

(Steve passed away too soon on July 24, 2019, at the age of 62 years from complications of lung cancer. He loved his family and cherished the time he spent with them – wife Dale, son Fraser and daughter Kirsten. He will be missed by the pharmacy community and all those who knew him. Steve was notified of his award in June and knew about his recognition before his passing).

Derek Desrosiers, left, and CFP Executive Director Dayle Acorn

During his 36-year (and counting) career in pharmacy, Derek Desrosiers has become one of Canada's foremost authorities on the interplay between economic and professional practice issues in pharmacy. After working in community pharmacy for 13 years, including time as a pharmacy manager and owner, Derek became the Director of Professional Services at the B.C. Pharmacy Association in 1995. In 1999 he took up a similar role at uniPHARM Wholesale Drugs Ltd., then became Chief Executive Officer in 2004. While at uniPHARM he guided the company to achieve the designation of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. He returned to BCPhA in 2013 as Director, Pharmacy Practice Support, where he remain until his retirement in May 2018. For more than 20 years, Derek has been a staff member or board member of BCPhA, including six terms as President. He has also served as a Director of the Board of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, and a Director and Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management. Derek is also on CFP’s Board and was President in 2017. In 2011, he received CFP's prestigious Pillar of Pharmacy Award.

Derek currently has his own consulting company, Desson Consulting, where he helps pharmacy owners develop business plans. He is also a succession and acquisitions consultant with Rxownership.ca.

After graduating from the University of B.C. in 1974, Marshall Moleschi (pictured at right, with David Edwards) experienced pharmacy in almost all of its settings: community, hospital, long-term care and healthcare administration. Equipped with those experiences, he turned to the regulation of pharmacy as the focus for his leadership abilities, first as Registrar of the College of Pharmacists of B.C. and most recently as Registrar of the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP). He has helped guide the profession in both provinces through unprecedented changes to scope of practice, which included extensive travels to district meetings and provincial conferences to motivate pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to embrace the opportunities to expand their services to patients. In Ontario, Marshall evolved the College's practice assessments of pharmacies away from simply a traditional checklist of adherence to rules to include an evaluation of the practice, which includes coaching practitioners to enhance their delivery of pharmacy services. Marshall is also a Past President of the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy. He retired as Registrar of OCP in September 2016.

CFP Past President Marshall Moleschi congratulates Ron Guse (right)

During his 31 years at the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (formerly the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association), where he was Registrar from 1999 until his retirement in 2016, Ron Guse helped steer the profession of pharmacy through significant periods of change. He helped develop and champion the new Pharmaceutical Act, passed into law in 2006 and considered the most progressive legislation for pharmacists' scope of practice at the time. In 2002, working with the regulatory bodies for physicians and nurses, Ron was instrumental in launching Continued Care Prescriptions, which came to serve as a model for collaborative practice agreements in other provinces. And in 1999 he forged ahead through controversy and uncharted territory to establish regulatory guidelines and standards of practice for the new sector of international prescription service pharmacies (also known as cross-border mail order pharmacies).

Susan Lessard-Friesen has made her mark on pharmacy practice in Manitoba and internationally, especially in the area of patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen retired as Registrar and CEO of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM) at the end of September this year, after 26 years of service at the regulatory authority. She graduated in 1983 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba.

Throughout her career, Lessard-Friesen consistently strived to bring integrity, trust and equity into pharmacy practice and has supported regulations and practice directions that have lasting effects on patient safety.

Lessard-Friesen was instrumental in the successful implementation of Safety Improvement in Quality (Safety IQ), the standardized continuous quality improvement program for community pharmacies in Manitoba. Safety IQ supports a “just and safe” culture in community pharmacies that balances professional accountability with a systems approach to incident reporting, response and prevention.

In 2014, she became the first recipient of the Patient Safety Champion Award from the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety. In 2013, she received the Patient Safety Award from the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association.

Her extensive contributions to patient safety include representation on numerous local, national and international working groups, committees and boards, including the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety, the Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development Network for Health Professions in Manitoba and the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy.

Recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lessard-Friesen ensured the continued registration and licensure of pharmacy graduates despite many obstacles. These pharmacy professionals were able to provide safe, responsive and effective care to the public during a time of great stress on the healthcare system.

Lessard-Friesen was also a sessional instructor at the College of Pharmacy and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, where she enjoyed serving as a mentor to students and influencing their future roles as pharmacists.

With a distinguished 40 years in the profession, Myrella Roy is lauded for her progressive leadership and ability to build successful relationships within pharmacy, government and industry. Roy recently retired from her post as Executive Director of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSPH).

During her tenure, Roy oversaw the successful completion of the CSHP 2015, a vision of pharmacy practice excellence that challenged members across the country to commit to enhancing the profession. She also oversaw the launch of a medication management e-learning platform and the implementation of dozens of guidelines and critical position statements.

Outside of CSHP, Roy has held faculty positions at the Université of Montreal and Université Laval and volunteered overseas for Pharmacists Without Borders in Albania. She has also participated in numerous multi-stakeholder consultations, advocating for pharmacists and patient care.

“Myrella exemplifies what a true leader should be: a visionary who inspires others but is also willing to put in the hard work herself,” says CFP’s Executive Director Dayle Acorn. “I congratulate her on a lifetime of achievement in advancing the profession.”

The Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) is honoured to recognize the late Steve Long with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Long's journey in pharmacy began almost 40 years ago, when he graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) in 1982. Since then, Long became a trailblazer in the profession, as evidenced by his many organizational initiatives and a stated mission to ensure that every patient achieves the best possible outcomes from their medication use.

He became the Director of Pharmacy for the Calgary Health region in 1984 and remained in the role until 2008. A medication error in Calgary served as a defining moment in his career and he became a champion for patient safety, just culture and open disclosure as a result of that experience. Long set the benchmark for the pharmacy profession in Alberta by putting practical tools and enablers in place. These tools included creating a standardized approach, growing with and utilizing new technology as well as optimizing the use of pharmacy technicians.

In 2008, Long took a government position as Executive Director, Pharmaceuticals at Alberta Health and Wellness, where he implemented several key policy objectives. These included the product listing agreement policy, Alberta’s framework for drugs for rare diseases, and reforms to generic listing decisions. Perhaps most importantly, Long was crucial in reshaping pharmacy compensation and reimbursement to better align with the expanded scope of practice. To this day, Alberta’s Pharmacy Services Framework is the most comprehensive compensation framework in Canada, and Long is a significant reason why.

In 2012 Long joined Shoppers Drug Mart as the Director of National Public Policy, and a year later (2013) he established his consulting firm, S.C. Long Consulting. Through his consultation in the pharmaceutical and benefits management industries, Long strived to improve access to drug therapy for patients and make a meaningful difference.

Long demonstrated his dedication to the advancement of the profession through many hours of volunteering for pharmacy associations, including the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

He will be greatly missed by the pharmacy community and all those who had the privilege of working with him.

(Steve passed away too soon on July 24, 2019, at the age of 62 years from complications of lung cancer. He loved his family and cherished the time he spent with them – wife Dale, son Fraser and daughter Kirsten. He will be missed by the pharmacy community and all those who knew him. Steve was notified of his award in June and knew about his recognition before his passing).

Derek Desrosiers, left, and CFP Executive Director Dayle Acorn

During his 36-year (and counting) career in pharmacy, Derek Desrosiers has become one of Canada's foremost authorities on the interplay between economic and professional practice issues in pharmacy. After working in community pharmacy for 13 years, including time as a pharmacy manager and owner, Derek became the Director of Professional Services at the B.C. Pharmacy Association in 1995. In 1999 he took up a similar role at uniPHARM Wholesale Drugs Ltd., then became Chief Executive Officer in 2004. While at uniPHARM he guided the company to achieve the designation of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. He returned to BCPhA in 2013 as Director, Pharmacy Practice Support, where he remain until his retirement in May 2018. For more than 20 years, Derek has been a staff member or board member of BCPhA, including six terms as President. He has also served as a Director of the Board of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, and a Director and Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management. Derek is also on CFP’s Board and was President in 2017. In 2011, he received CFP's prestigious Pillar of Pharmacy Award.

Derek currently has his own consulting company, Desson Consulting, where he helps pharmacy owners develop business plans. He is also a succession and acquisitions consultant with Rxownership.ca.

After graduating from the University of B.C. in 1974, Marshall Moleschi (pictured at right, with David Edwards) experienced pharmacy in almost all of its settings: community, hospital, long-term care and healthcare administration. Equipped with those experiences, he turned to the regulation of pharmacy as the focus for his leadership abilities, first as Registrar of the College of Pharmacists of B.C. and most recently as Registrar of the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP). He has helped guide the profession in both provinces through unprecedented changes to scope of practice, which included extensive travels to district meetings and provincial conferences to motivate pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to embrace the opportunities to expand their services to patients. In Ontario, Marshall evolved the College's practice assessments of pharmacies away from simply a traditional checklist of adherence to rules to include an evaluation of the practice, which includes coaching practitioners to enhance their delivery of pharmacy services. Marshall is also a Past President of the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy. He retired as Registrar of OCP in September 2016.

CFP Past President Marshall Moleschi congratulates Ron Guse (right)

During his 31 years at the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (formerly the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association), where he was Registrar from 1999 until his retirement in 2016, Ron Guse helped steer the profession of pharmacy through significant periods of change. He helped develop and champion the new Pharmaceutical Act, passed into law in 2006 and considered the most progressive legislation for pharmacists' scope of practice at the time. In 2002, working with the regulatory bodies for physicians and nurses, Ron was instrumental in launching Continued Care Prescriptions, which came to serve as a model for collaborative practice agreements in other provinces. And in 1999 he forged ahead through controversy and uncharted territory to establish regulatory guidelines and standards of practice for the new sector of international prescription service pharmacies (also known as cross-border mail order pharmacies).

Susan Wedlake receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from CFP Past President Marshall Moleschi

Since becoming Registrar of the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists (formerly Nova Scotia Pharmaceutical Society) in 1994, Susan Wedlake has accomplished a number of "firsts" for the profession in Nova Scotia, which have served as models for other provinces. She pioneered the SafetyNETRx program, which helps pharmacies implement quality-assurance measures to prevent medication errors. She took on a leadership role to develop standards of practice under an expanded scope of practice, particularly in the areas of lab information and testing, and assessing and prescribing for minor ailments. And Susan spearheaded legislation to create the new profession of pharmacy technician in Nova Scotia, one of the first provinces in Canada to do so. Susan retired as Registrar in 2015.